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BCAT Mental Health – Summary Notes & Nursing Vocabulary – RN/MHN
Exam Prep – UPDATED FOR 2025 100% Verified
Positive Reinforcement
Occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of stimuli that increases (or maintains)
future frequency of the behavior in similar circumstances.
Negative Reinforcement
Occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the removal or decrease of stimuli that increases (or
maintains) future frequency of the behavior in similar circumstances.
Positive Punishment
Occurs when a behavior is immediately followed by the presentation of stimuli that decreases (or reduces)
future frequency of behavior in similar circumstances
Negative Punishment
Occurs when a behavior is immediately followed by the removal or decrease of stimuli that decreases (or
reduces) future frequency of behavior in similar circumstances
Reinforcer
A stimulus that is either delivered or removed that will INCREASE the likelihood of that response occurring in
the future
Punisher
A stimulus that is either delivered or removed that will DECREASE the likelihood of that response occurring in
the future
Conditioned Reinforcer
A stimulus that initially has no reinforcing properties but through occurring simultaneously with an
unconditioned or strongly conditioned reinforcer, acquires reinforcing properties.
Unconditioned Reinforcer
A stimulus, such as food, water, shelter or clothing that is reinforcing in the absence of any prior learning
history. This is reinforcement that is inherent
Extinction
A procedure by which a behavior that was previously reinforced no longer receives reinforcement and the
probability of the behavior decreases.
Deprivation
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The absence or reduction of a reinforcer for a period of time. The depravation is an establishing operation that
increases the effectiveness of the reinforcer.
Satiation
Repeated presentation of a reinforcer weakens its effectiveness and for this reason the rate of responses
declines.
Contingency
Refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its controlling variables
Motivating Operation
An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing effectiveness of some stimulus, object or event.
Antecedent
Environmental events that occur before a behavior.
Behavior
Environmental events that occur before a behavior.
Consequence
Environmental events that occur after a behavior.
3- Term Contingency
Also referred to as the ABC's of behavior (antecedent-behavior-consequence). It illustrates how behavior is
elicited by the environment and how the consequences of behavior can affect its future occurrence.
Stimulus
Any physical object or event that has an effect on the behavior of an individual. The stimulus can be internal
(e.g. pain, hunger etc.) or external.
Discriminative Stimulus
Any stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced
Stimulus Control
The tendency for the target behavior to occur in the presence of the SD but not in the absence of that SD
Response
The specific instance of a particular behavior.
Discrete Trial
One teaching technique used in ABA, 3-term contingency. It has 3 components (antecedent, response,
consequence).
BCAT Mental Health – Summary Notes & Nursing Vocabulary – RN/MHN
Exam Prep – UPDATED FOR 2025 100% Verified
Positive Reinforcement
Occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of stimuli that increases (or maintains)
future frequency of the behavior in similar circumstances.
Negative Reinforcement
Occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the removal or decrease of stimuli that increases (or
maintains) future frequency of the behavior in similar circumstances.
Positive Punishment
Occurs when a behavior is immediately followed by the presentation of stimuli that decreases (or reduces)
future frequency of behavior in similar circumstances
Negative Punishment
Occurs when a behavior is immediately followed by the removal or decrease of stimuli that decreases (or
reduces) future frequency of behavior in similar circumstances
Reinforcer
A stimulus that is either delivered or removed that will INCREASE the likelihood of that response occurring in
the future
Punisher
A stimulus that is either delivered or removed that will DECREASE the likelihood of that response occurring in
the future
Conditioned Reinforcer
A stimulus that initially has no reinforcing properties but through occurring simultaneously with an
unconditioned or strongly conditioned reinforcer, acquires reinforcing properties.
Unconditioned Reinforcer
A stimulus, such as food, water, shelter or clothing that is reinforcing in the absence of any prior learning
history. This is reinforcement that is inherent
Extinction
A procedure by which a behavior that was previously reinforced no longer receives reinforcement and the
probability of the behavior decreases.
Deprivation
, 2|Page
The absence or reduction of a reinforcer for a period of time. The depravation is an establishing operation that
increases the effectiveness of the reinforcer.
Satiation
Repeated presentation of a reinforcer weakens its effectiveness and for this reason the rate of responses
declines.
Contingency
Refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its controlling variables
Motivating Operation
An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing effectiveness of some stimulus, object or event.
Antecedent
Environmental events that occur before a behavior.
Behavior
Environmental events that occur before a behavior.
Consequence
Environmental events that occur after a behavior.
3- Term Contingency
Also referred to as the ABC's of behavior (antecedent-behavior-consequence). It illustrates how behavior is
elicited by the environment and how the consequences of behavior can affect its future occurrence.
Stimulus
Any physical object or event that has an effect on the behavior of an individual. The stimulus can be internal
(e.g. pain, hunger etc.) or external.
Discriminative Stimulus
Any stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced
Stimulus Control
The tendency for the target behavior to occur in the presence of the SD but not in the absence of that SD
Response
The specific instance of a particular behavior.
Discrete Trial
One teaching technique used in ABA, 3-term contingency. It has 3 components (antecedent, response,
consequence).
